Word clue puzzle game

ABSTRACT

A word clue puzzle based game in which a player shifts horizontal positions of alphabet tiles (left or right) in a 2D surface, or rotates concentric blocks carrying lateral alphabet tiles in a 3D geometry, to find word clues formed by grouping adjacent alphabets in a combination of horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction. Word clues could be words, names, phases or statements. The game could be achieved on paper, on board, with geometrical models, or in electronic and computerized game simulation formats. Complexity of the game could be enhanced by rotating blocks of alphabet tiles overlapping a 2D background of alphabet tiles or by increasing the dimensions of the grid surface to solve for word clues. Alphabets used in the game are not restricted to English only and are applicable to any other language characters.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to word puzzle and word search game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Word search and scrabble are common board games in the prior art. In the word search, alphabets are set and arranged, whereas in scrabble players draw alphabet tiles at random to form words. There are variations to these games in the way the alphabet tiles are drawn or rules to make up words. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,945 to Porcheddu; U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,065 to Mokskin; U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,854 to McCarey; U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,468 to Challice; U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,467 to Dimming. In most cases, the game setting is static. In others, the outcome of such games depends on luck as well as on skills.

Shah, Kashan Word Travels

U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,341

A method of playing a game. More than one tableau spaces are provided, and a group of letters are provided arranged in a random sequence corresponding to each tableau space, wherein the letters available for play are the endmost letters. Words or beginning of words are formed by rearranging the endmost letters of the sequences, wherein the words or beginning of words are formed by the endmost letters of each sequence such that the last letter of the sequence is the last letter of the word or the last letter of the beginning of the word, and wherein the endmost letter of a sequence may be moved onto the endmost letter of another sequence if a word or the beginning of a word is formed on the other sequence, or more than one of the endmost letters may be moved onto the endmost letter of another sequence if the endmost letters are the beginning of a word or if a word or the beginning of a word is formed on the other sequence. Words formed from the endmost letters of the sequences are removed.

Groz, John C

Word Forming Board Game with Lettered Tiles U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,868

A method of playing a word forming game for two to four players utilizing a game board marked off in a grid pattern. There are a plurality of tiles, equally distributed between the players, having various letters imprinted thereon. Such game board having the word CHANGIT reading left to right disposed on tiles in a center of the game board to begin the game. The goal of the game being to get rid of a persons tiles before the other players get rid of theirs by changing words and forming new words.

Schroeder, Jimmy Dale

Word Search Based Board Game with Directional Tiles U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,561

A word search based game including a playing surface divided into individual playing cells and a plurality of both alphanumeric playing and directional instruction tiles. The alphanumeric tiles are placed on the playing surface in a manner to form word following a word search format, that is to say words may be forwards or backwards, vertically, horizontally or diagonally and do not necessarily have to form words with every alphanumeric playing tile that happens to be adjacent on the board to the played alphanumeric playing tiles. Directional instruction tiles are of the same size, shape and color as the alphanumeric playing tiles so that they may be drawn at random with alphanumeric playing tiles, but indicate a desired direction in which to form a word and a bonus multiplier if a word follows said direction. Also provided are a plurality of category cards, one drawn at the start of a game, to provide a scoring bonus to words formed which meet the category. The game is adaptable to both a traditional board game format and a computerized format.

Larman, Daryl S.

Word Forming Board Game with Rotatable Two Level Board and Chance Device U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,150

A word game assembly for play by two or more players includes for each player a play grid of horizontal and vertical rows of adjacent areas and a supply of alphabetical letter designating play pieces receivable on the grid areas in a competitive attempt to form words. A player operated random selector and indicator device, such as a spinnable top having side facets marked with different symbols, is used to determine the nature and procedure of play for effecting a series of plays. For instance, each player may select play pieces and place them on an associated play grid to form words in dependence upon the indicated random selection resulting from the spin of the top. In one embodiment of the word game assembly, a portion of the play grid is rotatable.

Brueckner, James L. Word Forming Board Game

U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,394

A game for forming words upon a board to entertain and educate players. The inventive device and method includes a board for stimulating various crossword puzzle configurations upon which a plurality of tiles can be positioned to form words. The method of playing includes forming original and altered words upon the board. Score is kept during the game with the player having the highest score or the player covering the last one of a predetermined number and configuration of spaces on the board being declared the winner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages discussed in the commonly known word games, this invention provides players with thinking challenges and dynamic variations of settings in the game. Players have to study and monitor combined effect of changing locations of alphabet and background alphabets. There is a high degree of interactivity and dynamic change of settings in the game. Word clues would dictate and challenge players for an absolute solution for each puzzle. The level of complexity of a puzzle could be easily raised geometrically by increasing dimensions of the surface grid. This game is also highly educational for building vocabulary of specific topics. It is also highly entertaining for group activities in area of interests such as movies, celebrities, poems or quotes.

A distinct advantage of this game is that the alphabets in the game could be of any country, and therefore could be played anywhere in the world in the language of the players.

It is inexpensive to put the invention on paper or on board. The game could also be played with 3 dimensional geometric models. These models are robust and simple to construct. They are ideal for children and travellers.

The rules of the game are simple and systematic to be programmed by computer. With technology today, the game is easily simulated on computer and conveniently downloaded to popular electronic and telecommunicating devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a starting game on board.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a game solution on board.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of a game according to other embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a screen view of a game generated by computer.

FIGS. 6 through 8 are display views of a game according to other embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 through 2 to describe the game according to a first embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, alphabet tiles are placed in their starting positions relative to the board surface. Alphabets on board of background surface are in light shade in contrast to the alphabet tiles on top of the board which are in dark shade. To play the game, a player shifts rows of alphabet tiles, namely rows that contain “SPRAWL”, “EYELID”, “LUCENT”, “CONFER”, “NATIVE”, and “INSULT”, to the left or to the right on the board until a word clue is read in the vertical direction. FIG. 2 shows the correct solution for this particular game. In this case, the word clue solution is “PLURAL” as labelled 1. A second word clue solution “CLIFF RICHARD” could also be read from this correct configuration as labelled 2 in FIG. 2.

According to other embodiments of the invention as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the playing surface grids are 3 dimensional in space. To play the game, a player rotates alphabets by rotating individual sections of geometric block. As the sections are concentric, the alphabets are aligned in both lateral and vertical direction. A player has to arrive at a correct configuration of the blocks to read word clues. These embodiments are compact and robust. These embodiments are good for playing the game during travel and for children education purposes.

The game could be simulated by computer. FIG. 5 shows a screen view of a simulated game. Alphabets used in this given example are Chinese characters. It shows that the game is not restricted to English alphabets only but is adaptable to any language alphabets or characters. Since computer programs now are easily downloaded into electronic devices, FIGS. 6 through 8 show embodiments of the invention in three common electronic devices: a Liquid Crystal Display Unit, a game console; and a telecommunicating device respectively.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. 

1. A word clue puzzle based game wherein the method of playing comprises the steps of a player: rotating alphabet tiles of individual rows horizontally, to the left or to the right, on a two dimensional grid surface; putting the endmost alphabet tiles falling out of said surface back to said surface as trailing tiles at the opposite end of the same row during said rotating process; finding word clues in the vertical direction formed by said alphabet tiles on said grid surface.
 2. The game of claim (1), wherein blank tiles are valid alphabet tiles.
 3. The game of claim (1), wherein said word clue is a plurality of words.
 4. The game of claim (1), wherein said word clues are further formed by grouping said alphabet tiles in a combination of adjacent horizontal, vertical and diagonal direction.
 5. The game of claim (1), further comprising an alternative step of rotating said alphabet tiles on top of a background grid of alphabets to increase the level of difficulty in finding said word clues.
 6. The game of claim (5), wherein blank tiles are transparent tiles enabling said word clues be read as a combination of alphabets from both overlapping layers.
 7. The game of claim (1), wherein said alphabet tiles are labelled texts.
 8. The game of claim (1), wherein said alphabet tiles are electronic light display units.
 9. The game of claim (1), wherein said alphabet tiles are European letters.
 10. The game of claim (1), wherein said alphabet tiles are Chinese written characters.
 11. The game of claim (1), wherein the game is played on paper.
 12. The game of claim (1), wherein the game is played on board.
 13. The game of claim (1), wherein said grid surface is polygonal.
 14. The game of claim (14), wherein the game is played with a polygonal model providing said grid surface.
 15. The game of claim (1), wherein said grid surface is cylindrical.
 16. The game of claim (15), wherein the game is played with a cylindrical model providing said grid surface.
 17. The game of claim (1) is simulated by computer program wherein a random generator is used to scramble said word clues and to start the game with rows of alphabets in a random manner.
 18. The game of claim (1), wherein the game is played on a computer.
 19. The game of claim (1), wherein the game is played on an electronic console.
 20. The game of claim (1), wherein the game is played on a telecommunicating device. 